How I Came to St Canard
by StarTraveler
Summary: On his anniversary as DW's sidekick, Launchpad looks back on what led him to St. Canard. My first DarkWing Fic. Please RandR


Disclaimer: Don't own anything just my brain and the story.  
  
AN: Launchpad looks back on what led him to St Canard. Contains mentions of the show Ducktales which I haven't seen in years.  
  
  
  
I let out a tired sigh as Drake and I reach the door of the house we share, no we're just friends nothing more. We've known each other for twenty years so I can call him Drake and not feel weird about it.  
  
To the outside world he's Drake Mallard, a member of the city council. That's by day, by night he becomes DW, or Darkwing Duck as everyone else knows him as. Together we've reduced crime dramatically and the city loves us.  
  
I unlock the door and led the way inside.  
  
"SURPRISE!" I jump back startled by the yells and I see a banner that says, Happy Anniversary Launchpad."  
  
I turn to Drake, "You remembered?"  
  
Drake smiles at me, "Twenty years ago tonight I met you, the man who would become my sidekick."  
  
"One you didn't want DW."  
  
"That was back then."  
  
Only a few select people know who Darkwing Duck really is, I'm one of them; the Muddlefoots are a couple of the others that do as well.  
  
"Boy these twenty years flew by."  
  
Gosalyn Mallard-Muddlefoot giggled, "In or out of a plane?"  
  
Everyone including me laughed at that, "both." I reply.  
  
I hug Gos gently since she's one month away from giving birth to her first child with Honker."  
  
Mrs. Muddlefoot smiled, "So how did you wind up in St. Canard."  
  
I decide to tell everything and slowly I drift back to a part of my life long ago....   
  
I grew up in a family of pilots and took my first listen at thirteen."  
  
My father said, "Remember son trust the plane and your instincts."  
  
He was a well muscled man with blue eyes. Of course I would crash the plane not intentionally of course.  
  
"Son stop crashing the planes!"  
  
He would always say that to me.  
  
"Dad I don't do it on purpose."  
  
"You think your future employer will believe that?"   
  
At age twenty four I soon found that out when I was hired by Scrooge McDuck, who was one of the biggest billionaires around, "You crashed a lot."  
  
His eyes went wide but it wasn't a question, "I've tried to overcome it sir."  
  
"I'll give you a chance Mr. McQuack and please call me Mr. McDuck."  
  
"I want to be called Launchpad sir."  
  
"Then Launchpad it is."   
  
Six months later it happened.  
  
"I thought you improved!"  
  
"Just a little turbulence Mr. McDuck."  
  
Scrooge closed his eyes, "I have a feeling I'll be hearing that a lot."  
  
And he did, I would crash the planes not intentionally and he would threaten to fie me but never did. Soon I wasn't the only one at the mansion. Soon his nephews Huey, Duey, and Louie came to live with him. Later Mrs. Beckley and Webby came.  
  
For many years I felt content. 

I come back to the present, this part I've never told anyone.  
  
Drake looks at me in concern, "This part is hard to think about."  
  
He smiles, "Just take your time stop if you want to."   
  
"Launchpad I need you to fly to London."  
  
"Why there Mr. Mc D  
  
"Its important cargo and as unbelievable as it sounds I trust only you."  
  
"You can count on me."  
  
For the first four hours everything went well then he began to lose control and was forced to eject. Just then the plane exploded as he drifted to the sea, he really didn't want to face Scrooge McDuck at that moment.  
  
"How could this have happened!?"  
  
"I checked everything it was fine."  
  
Scrooge held rage on his face like no one had ever seen, "that cargo was priceless!"  
  
I had finally had enough, "You deal with it McDuck, I quit!"  
  
The look of shock on his face was worth it as I walked out but the stricken look on the face of the boys wasn't.  
  
"Don't go." Huey said.  
  
"I have to."  
  
"We'll find out what happened." Louie said.  
  
I remembered smiling even if I didn't want to, "Go right ahead." Then I walked out.   
  
THREE YEARS LATER.  
  
I jumped at the ringing phone and annoyed I picked it up, "Yeah?"  
  
"This is Scrooge."  
  
"What do you want?" I asked with ice in my voice."  
  
"It wasn't your fault; Flingold Glomgold just confessed to the whole thing, he was working with Magica Dispell."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Launchpad please come to the house so we can talk in person."  
  
I hung up the phone and a million questions floated in my head, Should I even go? Was the one running in my mind.  
  
Yes I had to."   
  
"Launchpad!" The boys and Webby flew into my arms. "You are so big how old are you now?"  
  
"We're thirteen and Webby is eleven."  
  
Mr. McDuck stood on top of the stairs, "we can talk in the study."  
  
My throat knotted at how familiar everything felt, "Duckworth is still the perfectionist."  
  
Mr. McDuck nodded, "Yeah." Then he looked down, "GlomGold's going to jail for life, killing a rival, corruption, you name it. He sabotaged the plane so it would crash. He knew of your tendency to crash at odd times. He confessed to the whole thing, he thought it would reduce his sentence but it won't."  
  
"And Magica?" I ask.  
  
"She put a spell on you so you wouldn't really remember what happened."  
  
"I was carrying rare diamonds." I said.  
  
Mr. McDuck's face became sad, "No just business papers needed for a merger, I really did trust you and I didn't want anyone to know who was taking them. Anyway Magica put us under a spell to make me react the way I did and you wanting to quit."  
  
I shook my head, "I had been feeling that way for awhile."  
  
"You were jealous of that other pilot? Launchpad you could fly circles around him."  
  
"Where's Magica?" I ask.  
  
"Stripped of her powers due to a spell gone wrong, the one she put on us should wear off. Launchpad I'm so sorry." "I'm sure you are in your way."  
  
"I want you to come back; I'll give you whatever you want."  
  
"I'm sorry but I can't."  
  
"I'll give you anything."  
  
"Mr. Mc D too much time has passed and I just can't go back to the way things were, it was painful coming here and I just can't work here again."  
  
Mr. McDuck shook my head, "very well go safely Launchpad and that offer is always good."  
  
"Thank you sir."   
  
Three months later I moved to St. Canard, it was time for a fresh start. In the newspapers I read about Darkwing Duck. "Boy I'd love to meet him."  
  
I did one year later, "You need a sidekick."  
  
He looked at me, "I work alone."  
  
But soon he landed in jail and I bailed him out and took him to the garage where I was working on the Thunder Quack. "Wow it looks like me."  
  
"I told you I was your biggest fan."  
  
He looked at me and smiled, "that you are....sidekick."  
  
I nearly crashed the plane then and there.   
  
FOUR YEARS LATER  
  
"Launchpad!" Gosalyn's voice came frantically.  
  
"No yelling in the house!" Drake called.  
  
"What's wrong Gos?"  
  
"Someone named Huey is on the phone, he says it's urgent."  
  
I pick it up, "Hey pal."  
  
"You need to come back to Duckberg."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Uncle Scrooge had a heart attack; they don't expect him to last another week. He asked for you before he passed out."  
  
I quickly hung up the phone, "Drake I need to go to St. Canard...it's...it's."  
  
"Go ahead partner."   
  
I hurried into the intensive care unit and everyone embraced me, Mr. McDuck looked pale as he lay hooked to machines. He opened his eyes, "Launch..." He couldn't finish.  
  
"It's me Mr. Mc D."  
  
"I'm glad you came."  
  
"Of course I would."  
  
"You were the best."  
  
"So were you." Tears came to my eyes.  
  
"So much pain between..."  
  
"It's over Mr...."  
  
"Scrooge call me that."  
  
"It's over Scrooge it has been for a long time."  
  
"I'm proud of you; both of you and Darkwing always remember that."  
  
Then his eyes closed for the final time and we all wept.   
  
Six days later I returned to St. Canard and Drake hugged me, "I'm sorry LP."  
  
"I loved him and he loved me."   
  
I return to the present and Gosalyn and Honker both sniffle, "that was beautiful."  
  
Just then the boys walk in and I embrace them, since Scrooge's death we've grown closer. "Webby and Mrs. Beckley send their love, their flight was delayed."  
  
I look at the window at the crescent moon, the same kind of moon when Scrooge died.  
  
Do I have any regrets?  
  
No not anymore, I'm someone who looks toward the future.  
  
THE END.


End file.
